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` J. Fl-:LBER 2,371,161

SHEET TREATING MACHINE 'Mmh 13, 1945.`

:4 sheets-sneet'fl Filed uy 1, 194s INVENTR.

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March13, 1945. J. FELBl-:R

.SHEET TREATING MACHINE Filed May 1, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 13, 1945. J, FELBER SHEET TREATING MAHINE Filed uayl, L943 4 sheets-sheet s March 13, 1945. J, FELBERf 2,371,161

SHEETl TREATiNG MACHINE l Filed May l, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1N VEN TOR.

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BYJMM Arme/vans burning the sheets.

` in connection Patented 13, 1945` UNITEDn STATES PATENT fori-'ica snaar Tammo Msonm'a John ratei-,murine N. J., minor to American Can Company, New York, vN. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application' May 1, 194s, serial No. 485,401 1o man. (ci.v zes-s) This invention relates to a machine for heat treating sheet material and the like moving along a path of travel and has particular reference to movable heating elements 'located adjacent the path of travel of the sheets for heating edge portions thereof and having devices for shifting the heating 'elements away from the sheets to preventoverheating them when the machine stops operating.

An object of the invention is the, provision in a machine for heat treating th'e marginal edge portions of sheet or blank'material. oi! devices- `including heating elements disposed adjacent the path of travel of the moving sheets for directing a heating medium against marginal edge portions of the sheets or blanks. wherein the del vices shift t-hev heating elements away from the sheets when the latter stop moving to prevent Another object is the provision in suclffa heattreating machinefof automatically actuated lever :harms for supporting and holding the heating ele..

ments in operative position to heat the moving sheets as the machine is operated and for rap idly shifting the heating elements, under -cushf ioned'control, to an inoperative position when Y a side seam, the actual joining of the edges being themoyement of the sheets is stopped and in which position the heating elements are maintained until the normal operations 'of chinel are restored.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as' it is better understood from the following description, which,'taken with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodimentthereof. Referring -to the drawings: v

Figure 1 isa fragmentary plan view of a heattreating machine embodying the-invention, with parts broken away;K f

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section as viewed 4osubstantially alongI the line 2-2 in F18. 1 and showing heatingg'elements in position adjacent the path ot travel of the moving sheets for heating'their edge portions during normal operations ofthe machine;

" Fig. 3 is a view similar' performed in an adjacent or subsequently operating machine.

, The blanks or sheets A to be treated preferably arefed individually and in timed relation from a supply o f such 'material or from an adjacent machine vwhich for the purpose of this invention need not be shown. The individual sheets are supported in a horizontal position onA a continuously operating conveyor Il (Fig. l) andare advanced along a table i! toward the discharge end of the machine.

The conveyor Il includes a pair of spaced and parallel endless` chains I3, each having a plurality ofspaced feed fingers Il (Fig. 1) for advancing the sheets. The chains'travel in Synchronism through guide channels Il fox-ined`in tite top of the table i2 (Figs. l, 2 and 3).l These chains operate on chain sprockets II located at oppo-v v site ends of the machine.A` One pair of such chain sprockets may serve as driving conveyor.

One pair of the chain sprockets I l is illustrated at the entrance end of the machine and these sprockets -ar'e mounted on a, shaft l1 Journaled in bearings Il of brackets 22,'carried on a cross frame 23. There aretwo shafts." and two cross frames 23 disposedoneeash at' each end'of the machine. The shaft-"shown in the drawings maybe driven in any suitable manner. preferably `by an electric .motor B indicatedin lthe wiring'diagram. 'I'hov cross frames are mounted on main frame rails Il which extend tgFig. 2 showing the v heating `elements and certain other parts in .of I

ditlerentfposition as when 'the machine .is `stopped`and 4 is a'horisontal sectional planvlew summarily siens :ne broken #-4 in ne. 3, Mwith parts' broken away. l

the drawings disci ose a machine in which netaloriibreslnetblanks-Aaresubieetedtos'55-positeedse portinns'oftheeh'seh-extend sprefmesembodim'ent of the instant in'- longitudinally of the'machine'nd are bolted to` sprockets for the' let/.frames 2l disposed 'at 0g the mf.

`chime.

The tame-u is cameo on s naarvibrations` .Il mounted on the crossframes-and on a`Y erossnuuspiatothetwomsmfrmenus II (Piga'Z, 3 endl). This `table thus supports the conveyor Il for advancing the 'blanks A tinuously'in a rlaontal plane of'trav'ei throug themachino lo-that the op' 2,371,1ei r1 this completes the electric circuit and maintains in a casing 34 which is secured to a bracket 35 bolted to one of a lpair of lever arms 36, 31;

Each bracket 35 is formed withl a boss 38 which engages a gas chamber for receiving gas, such as illuminating or Kemp gas," by way of a pipe 42 one'end of which is threaded into the boss 38. This pipe leads from any suitable source of supply of such gas; The` gas is delivered to a burner 43 (Fig. 2) disposed in the ceramic body 32. This burner is formed with orifices 44 arranged in' the shape of the letter Y and when ignited produces a gas flame that heats t'he inner curved surfaces of the ceramic body.

Hence as the edge portions of the advancing sheets move through the heating elements 28, the heat of the ceramic bodies 32-is radiated against both surfaces of the sheet and thus subjects these surfaces to a heating treatment. The treated sheets are discharged from the machine at its discharge end in any suitable manner.

In the event the conveyorl ll stops moving and one or more of the sheets are left' disposed in a heat treating position, 'provision 'is made for shifting the heating elements outwardly and away from the sheets to prevent overheating or burning them. For this purpose the lever arms 36, 31 (Figs. l and 2), which carry the heating' elements, are mounted on rocker shafts 45, 46' carried in bearings 41 in the table brackets 26.l

The levers 36, 31 are formed with rockerearms 52, 53, respectively, and these arms are connected together by a link 54 (see also Fig. 3) so that both levers and their heating elements will move in unison and in opposite directions.

The shaft 45 upon which the lever arm 36 is mounted is rocked by a crank lever 55 secured to the shaft. The crank lever has two legs 56, 51 which are forked at the ends (Fig. 4). The forked leg 56 is connected to a plunger 58 operable in a dash pot 62 formed on a web of the bracket26. i

The forked leg 51 of the crank lever 55 is connected by a link 63 to a solenoid core 64, of a normally energized s'olenoid 65, which is secured to a web of the bracket 26.

The solenoid is part of an electric circuit (Fig. 2) which includes asource of electric lenergy such as a generator C and the electric motor B hereinafter mentioned. In this circuit the solenoid `is connected by a wire 61 to the generator which in turn is connected by a wire-68 to the motor B. The motor is connected'by a wire 12 to one side of a normally closed push button or stop switch 18. This switch 13l is exemplary of one or more c trol switches which may be manually opened or may be automatically opened by a movable part of the machine when a jam occurs-in the machine.

The stop switch 13 is connected by a wireV 15 to a normally closed limit switch 16. The switch 16 is secured to a bracket section 11 of the dash pot 82 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4). A wire 18 connects the limit switch v18 to the solenoid and the solenoid energizedwhen all 4switches are closed.

The switch 16 is maintained in itsv normally closed position, while the machine operates, by

a switch arm 82 which is mounted. on the shaft 45 and which moves withthe shaft. The outer endl of this arm carries an adjustment screw 83 which engages against the movable element 84 of the switch (Fig. 2) and thus holds the switch in closed position.

` When the machine is stopped, by opening of `the stop switch 13 and the breaking of the circuit which stops the motor B, the solenoid 65 is immediately deenergized. Its coreV 64 is thereupon forced outwardly from the position shown in Fig. l2 to that shown in Fig. 3 under action of the usual spring housed within the solenoid casing. This movement of the solenoid core rocks the crank lever 55 and its shaft 45 and this shiftsv the lever arms 36, 31 and their heating elements 28 outwardly and away from the sheets in heating position on the conveyor il.

It is this action that prevents overheating or burning'of 'the sheet surfaces.

Simultaneously with this movement of the lever arms|36, 31 and their rock shafts 45,- 46, the limit switch 16'is openedso that the electric circuit will be maintained in its broken condition to prevent starting of the machine until the heating elements are returned to their normal heating position. Opening of this limit switch is effected by the switch arm 82 moving away ,from the switch element 84 when the heating elements move away from the sheets. The heating elements in moving away from the sheet operate against the resistance of the dash pot 62 y hereinbefore mentioned. The dash 'pot slowsv down or cushions this movement of the heating elements and prevents sudden jar which may otherwise break or injure the ceramic bodies 32 when the elements reach the outer extent of their travel.

The heating elements remain in heated lcondition-while the machine temporarily is stopped so that when the machine is re-started and the heating elements are shifted inwardly to their original and operative position 'they willbe ready to immediately resume heat treating operations. The heating treatment of ,the sheets or blanks A, however, may be resumed only after manually restoring the heating elements into operative `position. This is accomplished by lraising a. starting handle 85,

46, the shifting ofthe handle being from the position illustrated'in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2.

In returning the heating elements' 28 to their .normal positions the switch arm 82 operates against the movable element 84 of the switch 16 and thus closes the switch.l If the stop switch 13 is closed, the circuit will be reestabthereinto andthus holdsthe heating elements 28 in operative position for heat treatment of the sheets. l 'l It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from A,the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that .various changes may be made in the form,'-'construction land arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention -or sacrificing all of its mounted on the rook shaftl -ing it away from the material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

port for a sheet, a movable heating element disposed adjacent said support and embracing for heating opposite furnaces of an edge portion only of a sheet .disposed onsaid support, and means for shifting said heating element away from said 4support to prevent burning the sheet.

2. In a machine for heat treating edge portions of sheet material, the combination of means for advancing sheets along a predetermined path of traveLa movable heating element disposed ad'- iacent the path of travel of the sheets and embracing the opposite edge portions only of the sheets for heating said edge portions only thereof, and means for shifting said heating element away from the path of travel of the sheets to prevent burning .the sheets. 3. In a machine for heat treating edge portions only of sheet material, the combination of means for ladvancing sheets along a predetermined path of travel, a movable heating element disposed adjacent the path of travel of the sheets and embracing in spaced relation the opposite edge portions only ofthe sheets for heating said edge portions'only thereof, apivotal mounting for supporting said heating element, and means connecting with said pivotal mounting for shifting said heating element away from the path of travel of the sheets to prevent burning the sheets.

4. In a machine for heat treating edge portions of sheet material. the combination of means for advancing sheets along a predetermined path 7. In a machine for heat treating edge portions of sheet material, the combination of means for advancing sheets along a predetermined path of travel,` a movable heating element disposed adjacent the path of travel of the sheets for heating the oppositely disposed edge portions only thereof, said heating element embracing in spaced relation said opposite edge portions only of the sheets, means for shifting said heating element away from the path of travel of the sheets to prevent burning the sheets when the sheet advancing means stops operating, and means Operable by said heating element when it shifts away from the sheets for rendering said sheet advancof travel, a movable heating element disposed ad'- jacent the path of travel ofthe sheets for heating edge portions thereof, and an electric solenoid connecting with said/ heating element for shiftpath of travel of the sheets to lprevent burning.

52 In a machine for heat treating edge portions of .sheet material, the combination of means for advancing sheets alongva predetermined path of travel, a movable heating element disposed adjacent the path of travel of the sheets for heating edge'portions thereof, an electric solenoid connecting with said heating element for shifting it away from the path of travel of the sheets to prevent burning the sheets, and means 'adiacentsaid heating element for cushioning the element whenjit is shifted away from the sheets.

6. In a machine for heat treating edgeportions'- of sheet material, the combination of means for advancingsheets along'a predetermined path of travel, a movable heating element disposed ading means inoperative until the heating element is returned to operating position.

8. In a machine for heat treating edge portions of sheet material, the combination of means for advancing sheets along a predetermined path of travel, a movable heating element disposed adjacent the path of travel of the sheets for heating oppositely disposed edge portions-only thereof, saidl heating element embracing in spaced relation the opposite edge portions only of the sheets, means for shifting said heating element away from the path of travel of the sheets to `prevent burning thesheets, and means for returning the heating element to operative position adjacent the path of travel of the sheets.

9. In a machine for heat treating edge portions of sheet material, the combination of means for advancing sheets along a predetermined path of travel, a plurality of movable heating elements disposed on opposite sides of the machine adjacent the path of travel of the sheets for heating opposite edge portions only of the sheets, said heatingv elements embracing in spaced relation said `opposite edge portions only of the sheets,

. ing oppositely disposed edge portions only therejacent the path of travel oi thel sheets for heating edge portions thereof, an electric solenoid connecting with said heating element for shifting. it away from the path of travel of the sheets to prevent burning the sheets, and a dash-pot also connecting with said heating element for ,A

cushioning the element when it is shifted away hm the ihectl.

away from the of, said heating element embracing` in spaced vrelation said oppositely disposed edge portions only of the sheets. electric circuits including an electricv switch and a source of power for operating the machine, and means forY shifting said heating element away from the path of travel of the sheets to prevent burning the sheets when the machine stops-operating, said switch being :operable byfsaid heating element when it shifts sheets for rendering the machine inoperative until th heating element is returned tooperatingpetition.s

' JOHN FELBER. 

